The Night Box by Louise Greig, Ashling Lindsay
Published by Clarion Books on September 25th 2018
ISBN: 1328850935
Pages: 32
Goodreads

Soothing bedtime reading, this reassuring and magical evocation of nighttime encourages imaginative exploration and marks the debut of a talented poet and illustrator picture-book pair.

When a little boy opens the Night Box, darkness swoops out, a fox uncurls, and a thousand stars sparkle and shine. Night flows freely then, cavorting and exploring, caring for all its creatures until morning comes, and it’s time for Night to rest again.      With its soothing cadences and air of quiet wonder, The Night Box is sure to charm any sleepy listener who wonders what happens between sunset and sunrise. 

“The Night Box”  is a clever, imaginative picture book fantasy about a little boy who possesses a key that  unlocks  “a box of midnight blue”  when:

“Day is yawning,  Quiet settles in the trees. The birds unfold their wings, the singing stops.”

How the boy comes to possess this  key  is indeed  a  magical mystery. When the boy turns the key in  the box    – “Click . . .  and another click . . . .”    Night suddently slips out as Day slips in.  And Night then shows how gently and carefully it  cares for all nighttime creatures.

This book would make  a soothing  bedtime story. It might also provoke interesting discussions about what Night  really is or perhpas evoke a discussion  about  why and how it is that  a small  boy comes to possess a key that can release Night.    Did  Night  give the key to the small boy  or did the boy  discover it, perhaps, underneath a rock, while playing.  “The NIght Box”  may be  useful in alleviating  a child’s fear of the dark  becuase  Night treats and guards the nighttime creatures so tenderly, thus,  a  reassuring and comforting story.  The  magical element  is  clever and AWEsome,  because , after all,  children do beileve in magic.  And so can we!

“The NIght Box”  is unique, imaginative, and can help to expand a child’s thinking in a variety of areas:  the sky, creatures on the Earth, (both diurnal and noctural),  magic, and being cared for even  by nature!

Ashley LIdsay, the illustrator of “The Night Box,” provides illustrations that are somewhat free flowing and softly portrayed.  However,  the small boy  is shown with carrot colored hair.  Chldren would enjoy pointing to and speaking about the details in the  illustrations!

 

Reviewed by:  Connie M. Smith, Breakwater School Library, Portland, Me